Find out how popular the last name Tuua is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Tuua.

Tuua, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Tuua surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tuua in America

Tuua is the 137327th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tuua surname appeared 122 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Tuua.

The history of the last name Tuua

The surname TUUA has its origins in the central Pacific region, specifically in the Tuamotu Archipelago of French Polynesia. The name is believed to have emerged during the 16th century, when European explorers first encountered the indigenous inhabitants of these remote islands.

Linguists suggest that TUUA is derived from the Polynesian words "tuu" and "ua," which loosely translate to "standing" and "rain" respectively. This combination could potentially refer to the local practice of erecting temporary shelters during the region's frequent downpours.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the TUUA surname appears in the logbooks of the Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen, who led an expedition to the Tuamotu Islands in 1722. Roggeveen's journals mention his interactions with a local chieftain named Taua Tuua, indicating the name's use as both a given name and a surname at that time.

In the late 18th century, the TUUA surname gained wider recognition through the exploits of Tupa Tuua, a renowned navigator and wayfinder from the island of Anaa. Tupa Tuua's exceptional skills in reading the ocean currents, winds, and celestial bodies were celebrated throughout the Tuamotu Archipelago and beyond.

Another notable figure bearing the TUUA name was Taurua Tuua, a high-ranking chief from the island of Fakarava in the early 19th century. Historical accounts suggest that Taurua Tuua played a pivotal role in mediating disputes between rival clans and maintaining peace within the region.

During the French colonial era in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the TUUA surname appeared in various administrative records and censuses conducted by the French authorities in the Tuamotu Islands. One such individual was Tematua Tuua, a respected elder and advisor to the local French governor in the 1890s.

As European influence grew in the region, the TUUA surname also found its way into the annals of Christian missionary work. Father Tauatua Tuua, a Polynesian priest born in 1872, was instrumental in translating religious texts into the local Paumotu language and preserving the oral traditions of the Tuamotu people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tuua

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Tuua.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Tuua was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Tuua was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Tuua, please contact us.

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